What will your legacy be 100 years from now? Forge's founder, Charles Southey, attended "Working Together for a Greener Future" at Cranfield University, which started with a question – What does it really mean to be “green”? Is it reducing emissions, cutting waste or reusing materials? Or is it something else?
It all comes down to impact. Doing more of the activities that create a positive impact and less of what leaves a negative impact. But what drives action?
Regulation and policy forces the issue but incentives encourage action. Look at the rise of EVs in the UK. Would they have taken off anything like they have without the 1% / 2% BIK rate or cheap overnight rates on electricity? Probably not. Nobody originally fancied ditching their trusty diesel for a range anxiety inducing EV, until they could save a whole load of money. If it made financial sense to choose the sustainable option at every decision, obviously more businesses would get on board with that idea.
And what about purpose? Companies struggle to rally people sincerely around a mission to “do good.” But "impact" feels more important. It’s measurable. It’s tangible. Could changing the focus from purpose to impact make sustainability something every business can buy into?
Then there’s manufacturing. Our entire economy is built around growth and creating new, desirable, shiny things that consume materials during their production. Expecting an overnight shift away from that is unrealistic. Instead, the focus should be on making manufacturing itself more sustainable. But again - there must be an incentive to change!
On obvious incentive for SME businesses in the UK would be encouraging sustainable practices in return for tax savings. Where are the tax advantages for sustainable practices at scale?
If we want mass adoption at speed, the sustainable option needs to offer the best incentive. Right now, that’s not the case. Let’s hope we see change soon.
Forge is dedicated to growth—but not at all costs. Our B-Corp Certification holds us to the highest standards and we work hard to maintain them and keep them at the heart of what we do.
